


Decorations

by shutupeccles



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Age Difference, Awkward Conversations, Cross-Generation Relationship, Humor, M/M, Requited Love, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-15
Updated: 2011-12-15
Packaged: 2017-11-02 11:40:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/368622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shutupeccles/pseuds/shutupeccles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>ghastly gift, puerile prank, emotional muddle, moral dilemma, anticipation and passion, then love conquers all</p>
            </blockquote>





	Decorations

The Christmas decoration on Professor Longbottom’s desk became part of Hogwart’s history when he was a Seventh Year student.  
   
A Second Year girl from Ravenclaw gave him the rather phallic looking gift as thanks for saving her older sister from Death Eaters in the Astronomy tower the night Professor Dumbledore died. Draco Malfoy hooted and called out that someone had finally given Longbottom a dick before Neville could unwrap what turned out to be a bogie-green candle (which to be honest was the right length but only half as thick as Neville’s dick) with a wreath of brightly-coloured, and bell-stuffed imitation Pygmy Puffs circling its base.  
   
It was ghastly.  
   
But the older sister had made it in St Mungo’s while she recovered from spell-damage inflicted by Neville’s arch-nemesis, Bellatrix Lestrange. Neville gave it pride of place on the Gryffindor table to encourage his peers to stand against Voldemort. Draco Malfoy stole it first and attached it to the angel atop the largest Christmas tree in a most suggestive manner. Then Neville’s dorm-mates, Ginnie Weasley, Luna Lovegood, and Lavender Brown had a grand time following Malfoy’s example by adhering it to various gargoyles and portraits around Hogwarts before Professor McGonagall confiscated it. No-one saw it again until Voldemort invaded the school, when Professor Flitwick attached it to a Death Eater’s nose.  
   
Professor McGonagall had burst into laughter while removing the Death Eater’s corpse after Voldemort had fallen, then returned the hideous candle to Neville with a flourish and an unexpected hug.  
   
Once Neville began teaching, it became tradition for Seventh Years of all four houses to be first to steal Professor Longbottom’s decoration and hide it in plain sight somewhere about the main castle, the ruder the better. The most memorable effort had been the work of James Sirius Potter, or so people thought. While James accepted the glory for making it look like the suit of armour in the entrance hall was enjoying a jolly wank, Neville had actually caught him stealing it two days earlier and decided to play the game himself. No-one knew who the true perpetrator was.  
   
As Head of Gryffindor House, Neville’s private chambers were adjacent to the student rooms and he overheard James complain about the injustice of receiving blame for a crime that, for once, he didn’t commit. Scorpius Malfoy was the only person in the boys’ dormitory that didn’t laugh, possibly because he was in Slytherin and shouldn’t have been there at all. Neville saw him as a kindred spirit and admired his determination to blur lines between houses. Despite his shy, mild temperament and academic success, Scorpius was bullied more relentlessly than Neville had been because Scorpius was descended from the worst of the Death Eaters. Fellow Slytherins gave him more hassle than students from the other houses combined, yet he never retaliated.  
   
“Father warned me about Professor Longbottom. He said it’s those quiet, put-upon ones you’ve got to watch.”  
   
“Watch my godfather any closer Scorpius, and you’ll be his reflection,” James said to further provoke his younger brother’s ‘secret’ boyfriend. Nobody laughed that time.  
   
“Suck yourself Potter!” The young Malfoy’s outburst was most uncharacteristic. Albus jinxed James on his boyfriend’s behalf. Neville left it at that. Why humiliate Scorpius further?  
   
Other students had developed crushes on Neville over the years, once Headmistress Sinestra blabbed about his role in the defence of Hogwarts. It was terribly embarrassing. Worse yet, once Scorpius returned from summer break to begin his final year he was no longer a boy but a dangerously attractive wizard, legally able to practice magic outside of school and other …adult …things. Neville hadn’t had a crush on a student since he was one. Draco had always been attractive but Scorpius was entirely superior, probably because he smiled humbly rather than sneering arrogantly. Girls declared that someone should ‘carve his likeness in marble to decorate the castle’. Neville considered taking leave until Scorpius graduated because he was so inspiring and visually captivating.  
   
*~~~*  
   
Professor Longbottom’s decoration had gone missing again. Gossip blamed Albus Potter, determined to be equally notorious as his older brother, and Scorpius, no-longer-secret boyfriend of Albus. Neville asked the portraits and gargoyles if they’d seen it, which they hadn’t. After almost a week he didn’t want it back. Who knew what those two were doing with it.  
   
*~~~*  
   
Last Herbology lesson of the day left everyone covered in Bubotubor pus because cousins Lily Potter and Hugo Weasley decided to argue about whose mother was more kickarse, flinging jinxes like ten year-olds, rather than acting like responsible Fifth Years.  
   
Neville lost his temper for the first time in two decades. “Your parents were preparing to fight Death Eaters at your age! All of us were almost killed in the Department of Mysteries and all of us saved someone’s life! So for the love of Butterbeer, grow up!”  
   
Several students began to cry. Professor Longbottom briskly dismissed the class and headed directly to Gryffindor tower for a shower. He muttered miserably as he undressed and got the shock of his life to find Scorpius Malfoy behind the shower curtain with both hands retaining some modesty. The senior student jingled as he jumped, too.  
   
Well, there was part of Neville’s decoration. “Did your boyfriend shove the candle up your bum?” Neville asked with resigned irritation.  
   
Scorpius shook his head. There appeared to be evidence of tears drying beneath one eye.  
   
Neville asked his next question gently so he wouldn’t spook Scorpius further. “Did he intend to?”  
   
Scorpius nodded. “I wouldn’t let him. He got the shits, vanished my clothes. He’s not my boyfriend anymore.” His voice was strong, without regret.  
   
“That’s not like Al.”  
   
“We’d been drinking, a lot. And arguing,” Scorpius admitted. Neville summoned a clean towel. “Thank you, Sir. Um, I’ll leave you to, um…” He seemed reluctant to go. Albus was the only person Scorpius openly confided in. Neville supposed one teacher finding out about this was traumatic enough.  
   
“Stay on the other side of the curtain and talk if you need to. Just wait until the water’s running, if you don’t mind. Gran used to do this all the time when she felt she had something dreadfully important to say. I couldn’t avoid her while I was in the bath or on the toilet.”  
   
Scorpius chuckled softly. “I admire you,” he said boldly.  
   
“…I admire you too. What were you drinking?” Neville asked as he washed his face, repeatedly reminding himself that he was a teacher and Scorpius, attractive and naked as he may be, was a student. A drunk one, at that.  
   
“Lots of things. Al must have snuck Veritaserum in mine later on because he started asking me why we hadn’t done it yet and…”  
   
“He didn’t like your answers,” Neville said to stop Scorpius talking. This was already the worst day in his teaching career.  
   
“He said everyone talks behind my back, nobody likes me but him, and the Headmistress only made me a Prefect and Head Boy because she feels sorry for me. If someone else spiked our drinks…”  
   
“…Then they will be punished. As will you two. You may both be of age, but alcohol is never allowed in dormitories.” Neville scrubbed the last of the Bubotubor pus from his skin and started on his hair. “Albus was lying. Professor Sinestra chooses house leaders purely on merit,” he assured Scorpius. “I hope your parents and grandparents are as proud of you as the teaching staff are.”  
   
“Very, although Father thinks I could have chosen my friends more carefully.”  
   
Neville snorted. “Harken unto the voice of experience. Perhaps Draco should have warned you about the noisy, mischievous ones as well as us quiet, downtrodden ones.”  
   
Scorpius chuckled softly again. The sound made Neville nervous. It was incredibly intimate. “Everyone goes on about Al’s dad being a hero, and Harry’s great, but… Father always told me how much you did for students at this school during the war, how brave you were, but everyone seemed to forget two weeks after it ended and fell down worshipping ‘Saint Potter’. Father’s glad I’m strong like you and not a piss-weak little nothing like him, but I don’t think that about him. He’s a surprisingly understanding man. When he found out I love you he felt sorry for me because he treated you like shit and you have every right to hate my family’s guts for eternity. But you’ve never been anything less than nice to me.”  
   
Neville peeked through the shower curtain. There was nothing timid in his voice, yet Scorpius was looking at his hands as he twisted his fingers together in various patterns on his lap. Neville wished he’d applied for that year’s leave as he stared at the innocently prattling sculpture before him.  
   
“You should go to the infirmary, seek the antidote for Veritaserum and whatever else may have been in those drinks,” Neville suggested gently. _Thank you brain, nice of you to join us, you should have said that as soon as Scorpius mentioned the potion_.  
   
“You want me to go.”  
   
“I **need** you to go.”  
   
“Because I embarrassed you,” Scorpius nodded sullenly at his hands, “and myself.”  
   
“Because I’m a teacher.”  
   
“Is that the only reason?” Scorpius tilted his enquiringly. He was intoxicating.  
   
“It’s reason enough.”  
   
“You have high morals.” Scorpius wouldn’t say that if he could see Neville’s thoughts.  
   
“I’d like to keep them.”  
   
“Do I make that, difficult?” Scorpius stood as he asked and the towel around his waist slipped to a teasing angle.  
   
Neville closed the curtain and made the water run completely cold. He couldn’t speak.  
   
“I hid here hoping you’d find me, tug me off. Kiss me at least. You know I’m of age. Come home with me at Christmas, or take me home if you’re unwilling to do it here.”  
   
“I’m truly sorry, Scorpius.” Neville used a non-verbal to knock poor befuddled Scorpius unconscious, tried Accio to locate his Slytherin uniform (which thankfully worked), dressed him and took him to the infirmary.  
   
*~~~*  
   
The summons to the infirmary was the third dreadful thing to happen to Neville in one day. It was like being a student again.  
   
“Stop blowing things out of proportion, woman!” Draco’s voice rang out along the corridor. “Let him have a moment’s peace.”  
   
Just like being a student again. Except this time Draco flinched when he spotted Neville instead of the other way round. Mrs Malfoy was shooed away to find herself a bracing cup of tea before Draco intercepted Neville at the door.  
   
“Don’t be too hard on him.”  
   
“It wasn’t entirely your son’s fault.” Neville quickly added that nothing inappropriate occurred. It was disconcerting seeing Draco’s features moulded into an expression of sincere parental concern. They were adults now. Perhaps they could have an adult conversation.  
   
“We’ve known for some time about this, crush. His mother rather ignorantly hoped he’d find a girl since it became obvious Scorpius was avoiding certain activities with Albus.”  
   
“You disagree?”  
   
“I know the difference between bi-curious and gay, Longbottom. My ignorance doesn’t run that deep. I crapped on as much about Loony Lovegood’s heroics as yours and Scorpius hasn’t developed a thing for loopy females.” Draco glanced at the door then back. “He’s besotted,” he warned.  
   
“He’s remarkable,” Neville said before he could stop himself. He looked at the floor.  
   
Draco’s posture became less defensive. “Yes, he is. His main concern is that he’s made an irreparable twat of himself. Scorpius finds that humiliating in itself. Because he’s of age he thinks he should automatically have the maturity of a forty five year old and shouldn’t be bothered by such juvenile nonsense.”  
   
“What do you think?”  
   
“I think he’s young enough to enjoy life and old enough to make up his own mind. That whole history between Snape and Potter’s mother proves we can’t choose who we fall in love with, at what age, or how deeply.” Draco’s eyes sought his wife as she wiggled along the corridor with biscuits and a pot of tea. His lips twitched in reflexive appreciation. Neville was surprised to see Draco loved his wife far more than her status. “Or for how long. That war proved that love is everything. If Scorpius has set his sights on you, I’m not standing in his way.”  
   
“I’m a teacher.”  
   
“How many times do you have to remind yourself of that when he’s in front of you? You may be Head of Gryffindor House **Professor** , but you’re the same Neville Longbottom who couldn’t control his toad when we were at school. I can tell when you wish I’d sod off.”  
   
“If you’re trying to get me fired…”  
   
“No-one would believe it. You’re the most nauseatingly moral soul in existence.” Draco’s comical grimace made Neville chuckle. “Help Scorpius make a mature decision without breaking his heart or I’ll hex your buttocks.”  
   
“You don’t think this will go away?”  
   
“Only if you want it to,” Draco said sagely then whistled at his wife. She reprimanded him with a stern look that was swiftly softened by a self-conscious blush and stifled smile of delight as he strolled toward her. Draco touched her face.  
   
Neville saw Scorpius in both of them. He didn’t want this to go away.  
   
*~~~*  
   
Professor Longbottom began stripping off his soil-encrusted robes and was still in his underwear when he opened the shower curtain. Scorpius reached back to turn on the tap. Neville stopped him by lightly stroking the side of one finger along Scorpius’ erection then hooking the fingertip under the circle of fuzz-covered bells hung around its base and knuckling his balls. Colours shimmered over his fair skin, the sheen of erotic body paint invented by the Weasley twins to indicate the level of arousal and spell out precisely what Scorpius needed from Neville.  
   
“How long have you been keeping yourself hard?” Neville asked in a husky breath, leaning in to inhale Scorpius’ equally faint response.  
   
“Didn’t have to. Knowing you were home was enough.”  
   
“I admire you.” Neville’s lips caressed Scorpius’ with each word.  
   
“I admire you too, _uh_.” Scorpius flung his painted arms around Neville’s neck and thrust slowly into his closing hand. Bells jingled. Their kiss became distorted by mutual smiles as similar thoughts crossed their minds. Neville timed his strokes and Scorpius paced his hips so the bells chimed a merry Christmas tune.  
   
“Is this what you had in mind last year?” Neville asked, unable to take his eyes from the pleasure clear on Scorpius’ unpainted face.  
   
Scorpius tilted his head back against the shower wall and made _mm, ohh_ sounds along with the bells. “Better.”  
   
“How?” Neville licked the exposed throat from clavicle to Adam’s apple, stopping to suckle there. The body paint tasted like toffee apples. Scorpius clutched him tight and fucked Neville’s hand, concerned only with pleasing himself. It made Neville harder than an Erumpent horn.  
   
“I don’t have to sneak back to my dorm, or risk getting expelled, you won’t lose your job, _oh-ah_ , this is so worth the wait.”  
   
Neville pulled swiftly and eagerly, the bells no longer had time to chime. “Come on me. _Oo-ooh_. Paint me too, decorate me.”  
   
“ _Uh_ , want to come with you inside me. First time fucking me, today Neville, now.”  
   
“You’re young, you’ll come again. Probably before I can eat all these deliciously, naughty, verbs off your skin. I can’t do all that in one night you know.”  
   
“Good thing I’m here until New Year then.”  
   
Neville used his elbow to activate the dispenser installed specifically for Scorpius’ conjugal visits to Hogwarts, caught the slippery goo that came out of it with ends of two fingers and carefully probed the inside of his admirer’s arse. Scorpius shimmied up Neville’s body like a monkey up a tree and hooked his knees over Neville’s shoulders. He wiggled and squirmed in response to Neville’s fingering until he came on Neville’s haired chest.  
   
“Sorry…”  
   
“No,” Neville kissed his downcast mouth, “you don’t have to be. That’s why we waited until you finished school. So we can make each other come, any way we want, without guilt or shame afterward.”  
   
Scorpius locked fingers of both hands into Neville’s hair and bent Neville’s head back so he could kiss him from above. “Thinking like that is why I was already waiting for you.” Their tongues fucked until Neville’s dick grew tall enough to touch Scorpius’ fingered open ring. “Yes,” Scorpius rubbed his rim against it, “slip it in me, carry me to bed with your dick already inside me, and **fuck** me.”  
   
They almost bit each other’s lip as Neville shifted their bodies just enough for his cockhead to slip in with the ridge locking against the inside of Scorpius’ rim. They gasped at the shock of how incredible it felt. Neville was no virgin, by any stretch of imagination, but he’d never been so deeply admired and admired someone so much in return that the physical connection became a sublime extension of that. He carried his less experienced partner to bed, as requested, and slowly introduced Scorpius to the pleasures of exquisitely emotional sex. They changed positions a few times because Scorpius was uncomfortable, and then curious, plus he wanted them to come together, which they did.  
   
“I knew you loved me last year,” Scorpius said with intense satisfaction as he leaned back and around to kiss Neville triumphantly. “Al and James said you lusted after me. Rose said you coveted me. But you listened to me when no-one else would, didn’t let me seduce you, discussed our options with honest sensitivity. My decorated hero,” Scorpius said with pride. He lifted Neville’s arm to show how the erotic paint transferred between their bodies.  
   
“I’ve always admired you, Scorpius. Last year I simply began loving you as a man.”  
   
*~~~*  
   
Alice and Frank Longbottom probably wouldn’t understand what was going on, but Scorpius was adamant that they be Bonded in front of both families. Guilt couldn’t talk him out of it and Draco had laid it on thicker than Goyle’s head.  
   
“Neville’s right to want another venue. My mother’s sister did this to his parents. If the Longbottoms are lucid enough to make the connection between your name and Bellatrix they’ll know their son is marrying into the family that tortured them and think the Dark Lord won. We’re supposed to be making amends, not making things worse!”  
   
“If they’re that lucid, Father, they’ll see how much I love their son and know Voldemort lost!”  
   
Neville and Scorpius grasped right hands in the fourth floor ward of St Mungo’s. Hermione and Harry were Neville’s proxy witnesses, sitting between the Longbottoms and Malfoys. Narcissa and Lucius wisely chose not to attend after Draco uninvited them behind his son’s back. Neville was grateful. He and Scorpius had simultaneously suggested Luna for their Bonder. Luna was delighted and her soothingly disconnected voice set the tone nicely.  
   
“Will you, Neville Longbottom, continue to cherish and support Scorpius Malfoy, so he may reach his true potential and have love in his heart always?”  
   
“I will.”  
   
“Ooh, how pretty,” Luna murmured as the first binding flame wound around their joined hands. She’d never done this before. “Will you, Scorpius, continue to cherish and support Neville, so he may remain courageous and have love in his heart always?”  
   
“I will.”  
   
“That’s truly lovely,” Luna exclaimed as the second flame overlapped the first to form a chain of light. “Do you Neville, and you Scorpius, vow to be faithful in body and thought, forsaking all others so this vow may never be broken?”  
   
“I will,” they said together and the third and final flame bound their partnership for life.  
   
Neville’s mother clapped her hands in girlish glee, as did Scorpius’ mother. Scorpius looked eerily like Draco as he smirked at his husband.  
   
“Yes, you were right. Don’t gloat.”  
   
“Why shouldn’t I gloat? I’m bonded to you! Kiss me before the romance of the day fades away.”  
   
Neville took Scorpius in his arms and kissed him in a manner that promised the romance would never fade. He stared defiantly at Draco, daring him to watch as his white-haired mother shuffled across the floor to pat Scorpius on the shoulder and drop a gum wrapper in his hand as though it were the deed to Gringott’s, then returned to her armchair, humming gently all the while. Scorpius proudly attached the shiny paper to the lapel of his jacket, like a medal.  
   
The war was finally over, and love had won.  



End file.
